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Lymsrana stepped around Ardvaen. “What are you saying? Our sons were meant to go to Earth and meet her?”

Quinfina lowered her hand. “I don’t know any other way she would meet them.”

Cornaith stepped forward and pointed an accusing finger at me. Ash’s hand squeezed mine. “She bewitched them with illusion magic!”

Quinfina shook her head, the chains that dripped from her bouncy curls tinkling. “She didn’t.”

Ezra’s jaw ticked, watching his father.

A vein stood out on Cornaith’s temple as he gritted his teeth. He looked ready to blow. He inhaled and turned to Amra.

Ardvaen stepped forward. “If she’s not attempting to manipulate them with illusion magic, then can you explain what she is doing?” His piercing eyes met mine. “What we just witnessed…”

Caendra shook her head. “Her eyes… they looked like Cyn’s eyes when he shifts to his alternate form.”

My eyes?

I looked at Cyn, remembering his midnight eyes that gave nothing away.

He looked at me for only a moment before focusing on his parents again.

“A human shouldn’t be able to use magic,” Rhistel said.

Magic?

“I didn’t do that,” I said, looking at the judgmental eyes of Zeke’s parents. “I’m serious. I saw the magic too, but it wasn’t me.” I looked at Quinfina. “I don’t know how to use magic.”

Cornaith spun around. “You now see how she lies, boys!” He sneered at me. “You may be able to whisper pretty words to weaker infernals, but not to my son.”

“I didn’t—”

“She speaks the truth,” Quinfina said. “She didn’t use the magic of her own volition. But it is her power.”

“Power?” Zeke looked between me and Quinfina. “She has powers?”

She nodded, gaze settling on Ash. “Our eldest heir’s devotion to her unlocked the seal placed on her powers.”

Lymsrana frowned, looking as thrown by the words as I felt. “How does a human have powers?”

“They don’t. Not pure humans.” Quinfina moved to my side and placed a gentle hand on my arm. “Your father placed a seal on your powers shortly after your birth.”

I recoiled, my nose scrunching. “Dad? He didn’t have powers either.”

The more Quinfina revealed, the more confused I became.

She expected me—and everyone else here—to believe I had magic but hadn’t used it to manipulate the guys. Her words backed the theory that I’d tricked them.

I’d hoped she’d help by explaining the book situation, but now it felt like she might be signing my death warrant for me all over again.

“Not your human father, no,” she said, oblivious to my inner thoughts. Her hand tightened on my arm.

I looked down at her hand and then back at her unyielding eyes.

She couldn’t be saying what I thought she implied… could she?

“Raelynn here is the child of her mixed mother and her Shyrlivi father.”

“Mixed? Mom was white.”